Most Wanted
by Frontline
Summary: When Harry wakes up in an alley next to a dead body, he finds himself on the run from the Aurors. Now, he needs to prove his innocence. First part of my new AU.
1. Chapter 1

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

 _Hogwarts is one of the largest magical settlements in England, originally founded in 990 A.D. Located in the Scottish Highlands, in accordance with the Statute of Secrecy, it is situated on the shores of the Great Lake and surrounded on three sides by the Forbidden Forest. At the heart of the city is Hogwarts Castle, home to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While originally only for the education of young witches and wizards, Hogwarts has expanded to include post-graduate studies and a sizeable research faculty..._

 _Excerpt from Hogwarts; a History, by Bathilda Bagshot._

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Harry opened his eyes to find himself lying on the cobbles in a dingy alley, his head pounding with a dull ache that he recognised as the after effect of a stunning spell. With a groan, he pushed himself up, looking around to see his wand lying nearby.

'Lumos,' he said, snatching up his wand, light erupting from the tip. The glow revealed a body lying against the alley wall, his eyes staring blankly at nothing. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to his feet and knelt down next to the body, feeling at the neck for a pulse.

 _He's dead..._

'Hey! What's going on there?'

Hearing the shout, Harry looked round to see two members of the Hogwarts Constabulary at the end of the alley, recognisable by their brown cloaks and tall hats.

'That's him,' one of them barked, drawing his wand and advancing towards him. 'Don't move,' he barked, just as Harry disapparated...

################

Harry reappeared in another alley, leaning against the wall as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

 _What the hell is going on...?_

With an effort, he pushed himself away from the wall, pocketing his wand as he stepped out of the alley, pulling up the hood of his cloak. This late at night, the street was mostly deserted, with only a few people around. Above the buildings, he could see the dark shape of Hogwarts Castle.

 _Come on. Just a few minutes walk. You can make it..._

Gritting his teeth, he set off, for once regretting that it was impossible to Apparate into the Castle. Then, he stopped as he saw a poster stuck on the wall, his eyes widening as he recognised his own face.

 _What the hell...Most Wanted...Considered Dangerous...if seen, inform Hogwarts Constabulary..._

Looking around quickly, Harry ripped down the poster and shoved it under his cloak, just as two members of the Constabulary emerged from a side street ahead ahead of him. Forcing himself to relax, he kept walking, resisting the urge to pull his hood further down as they came closer. The Constables passed him and he released the breath that he had been holding.

'Excuse me, sir?'

 _Damn_...

'Yes?' Harry said, turning towards them.

'Lower your hood,' one of the Constables said and Harry hesitated for a second, before pushing it back.

'That's him,' the other Constable said, drawing his wand and levelling it at him. 'Don't...'

'Expelliarmus!' Harry yelled, his own wand flashing out, sending the Constable's clattering away. He swung towards the other one, only to feel his own wand go flying out of his hand.

'Don't move,' the second Constable said as his partner reclaimed his wand.

'Put your hands...' he began, just as there was a crack and a hooded-man appeared. His face was in shadow, but he thought that caught a glimpse of ginger hair.

Ron...?

'Auror Office,' he said, pulling out his badge and showing it to the Constables. 'I'll take it from here...'

'With respect, sir,' one of the Constables began, 'we need to take him to the Station...'

'He's a dangerous man, Constable,' Ron said. 'I've got orders to take him to the Auror Office. I'll take responsibility...'

'Ro...,' Harry began and he turned towards him.

'Shut up,' the man snapped, grabbing him by the shoulder as he pulled a folded scrap of crumpled parchment out of his pocket. His pressed it to the back of Harry's hand and he felt a jolt in his stomach, like he was being pulled upwards...

################

Harry reappeared in the middle of a dingy, dusty room with the curtains drawn and a single candle burning on a dresser in the corner. The man stepped back, pushing back his hood to reveal his ginger hair and freckled face.

'Ron? What the hell are you doing?'

'Rescuing you,' he said. 'What does it look like...?'

'You could have fooled me...'

'I had to make it look good in front of those flatfoots, didn't I...?' He said and Harry stepped back, forcing himself to relax

'Yeah...sorry...thanks...'

'Don't mention it, mate...'

'Where are we...?'

'An old Auror safehouse. It hasn't been used in years, but Hermione's put a few extra protective charms up to be safe...'

'Hermione...?'

'Yeah. The others are downstairs. Come on...'

Harry followed him out of the room and down the stairs to where four people were seated around a crude wooden table. Nearest to him was Hermione, a curly-haired brunette with her head buried in a book. Next to her was Ginny, Ron's sister, with the same red hair and freckles. Opposite them was Neville, a stocky man with black hair and Luna, a blonde young woman who was reading a magazine upside down.

'Harry!' Hermione said, looking up from her book as she heard their footsteps, launching herself at him and wrapping him in a hug.

'Hey, Hermione,' Harry said.

'Let him breathe, Hermione,' Ron said and she broke the hug, glaring at Ron.

'We heard what happened,' she said. 'We were worried sick. But, they can just issue an order for your arrest without evidence. According to Ministry Statute...'

'Alright, alright,' Ron said. 'Give him a minute. C'mon, sit down, mate...'

'Here, Harry,' Ginny said, handing him a cup of coffee as he sat down.

'Thanks, Ginny,' he said, glancing over at the others. 'Hi, Neville...Luna...'

'What happened, Harry?' Neville asked as Luna put down her magazine, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

'I'm...not sure,' Harry said. 'All I know is that I was in an alley with a dead body. After that, I was a bit too busy to ask questions...'

'Do you remember what you were doing there...?' Hermione asked and Harry shook his head.

'No...'

'Or...why you went there...?'

'...no...'

'This isn't an interrogation, Hermione...'

'I know that, Ron,' Hermione said, giving him an arch look. 'Harry, I think you've been obliviated...'

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

'...what?'

'Harry, you've been obliviated. Someone's erased your memory...'

'I know what it means!' Harry snapped, before he could stop himself. '...sorry. Can you undo it?'

'I...don't think so, Harry. It's difficult and usually only possible with long-term memories. Maybe if we went to see Madam Pomfrey...'

'We can't,' Ron said. 'The Constabulary are looking for Harry and Hogwarts is the obvious place for him to go...'

'But, why would anyone want to obliviate Harry?' Ginny asked.

'Maybe he saw something that he shouldn't have?' Neville said. 'Or something that someone else didn't want him to see...'

'It's possible,' Ron said. 'Either way, we've only got one real lead...'

'The dead man...' Harry said and Ron nodded.

'We need to find out who he is and how he died...'

'How?' Neville asked and Ron gave a helpless shrug.

'There's only one way. We need to get into the Auror office and take a look at the case files...'

'How do you know there is one?' Ginny asked. 'Won't they have just covered it up?'

'I don't think so,' Ron said. 'Remember, there's a warrant out for Harry and they'll have needed some evidence to get that authorised by the Ministry...'

'I don't know,' Hermione said. 'I think it's too dangerous...'

'Alright, then,' Ron said. 'What's your bright idea...?'

'Back off, Ron,' Ginny growled, half-rising from her seat, until Hermione put a hand on her arm. With a snarl, she sat back, folding her arms across her chest, glaring at Ron.

'We don't have a choice,' Harry said. 'Ron's right. I need to see what's in those files...'

'You can't go in there, mate,' Ron said. 'Not alone, anyway. The Aurors will have been told to keep an eye out for you...'

'I don't have a choice, Ron,' Harry repeated. 'And I'm not going to have you get in trouble for me...'

'We won't,' Ron said. 'I've got a plan...'

He reached under the table and pulled out a wooden chest, setting it on the table and undoing the clasps. Inside was a folded black cloak that seemed to ripple even though it wasn't moving.

'Is that...?'

'Yep,' Ron said, with a grin. 'That should get you into the Ministry...'

'Alright,' Harry said. 'Come on. Let's get going...'

'Hold on,' Luna said, putting down her magazine. 'I think we should also take a look at the alley where Harry...woke up...'

'Why?' Ron asked.

'Because, there might be something there they don't want us to see...'

'It'll also be crawling with the Constabulary,' Ron said and Luna grinned.

'We can deal with that...'

####################

'Alright, Jeremiah?' Ron asked, pushing back the hood of his cloak.

'Evening, Ron,' replied the grim, rough-looking Auror who was standing by the lift at the end of the short corridor. 'You're here late...'

'You know how it is,' Ron said, with a shake of his head. 'I need to catch up on some work...'

'Heard the Constabulary's looking for your friend,' Jeremiah said, as he pressed the button to summon the lift. 'What do you think of that...?'

'It's a load of dragon dung,' Ron said, stepping past Jeremiah as the lift doors rattled open. 'That's what I think...'

With a finale glare, he pressed the button and the doors closed, the lift starting to descend with a jerk. Like everything in Hogwarts, the lift was mechanical, as magic and modern 'Muggle' technology weren't a good combination.

'Harry?' Ron whispered. 'Are you still there?'

'Where would I go?' Harry replied and Ron scowled.

'Alright, mate. I can't see you, remember...' He added. Even though Harry was standing right next to him, he couldn't see him because he was wearing his Invisibility Cloak. It had been a gift from his parents when he had qualified as an Auror. Made from the hair of a demiguise, it rendered the wearer completely invisible as long as it covered their whole body.

'This is a mad idea,' Ron muttered, just as the lift doors rattled open...

####################

'There's two Constables,' Ginny hissed, from where she was peering around the corner of the alley they were hiding in.

'So, what are we going to do?' Hermione asked and Ginny grinned.

'Easy. Neville and I will create a distraction to draw them off, so you and Luna can have a look at the crime scene...'

'I don't know, Gin...'

'Relax,' Ginny said, giving her a quick kiss. 'We can outrun a couple of flatfoots. You up for this?' she asked, turning to Neville, who nodded.

'Okay. Wait for the signal,' she said, drawing her wand as she and Neville disappeared into the night.

####################

Ron opened the lift doors with a rattle, looking around the Auror office, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw that it was empty.

'Come on,' he hissed, stepping out and heading towards a row of filing cabinets, as the lift doors closed behind them. 'These are the current case files...'

Opening the nearest cabinet, he began pulling out the files and flipping through them, just as Harry took off the invisibility cloak.

'What are you doing?' Ron hissed, as Harry opened the next cabinet.

'We need to get this done,' Harry said, grabbing another file and opening it.

'This is crazy...hey, here it is...'

Opening the file on the top of the cabinet, Ron took out his pocket camera, quickly photographing the pages.

'Done,' he said, putting the file back into the cabinet, just as he heard the lift approaching

'Quick,' Ron hissed, closing the cabinets and heading for his desk as Harry threw the invisibility cloak back over his head. A second later, the lift doors rattled open and a tall, slender man in a black cloak stepped out.

'Weasley,' he said, striding towards him.

'Minister Harris,' Ron said, standing up.

'I know that Potter is a friend of yours,' Harris said, without preamble. 'However, you need to remember where you're loyalties lie. If you see him, I expect you to report it, immediately...'

'Yes, Minister,' Ron said, resisting the urge to flick his gaze to where Harry has been standing.

Harris held Ron's gaze for a second before striding past him, heading for his office at the end of the corridor and he heard the door close.

 _That was too close..._

####################

Ginny and Neville crept towards the alley where the Constables were standing, crouching behind a low wall and risking a look over the top.

'There they are,' Ginny whispered. 'You ready?'

'Yeah,' Neville said and Ginny raised her wand, sending up a shower of red sparks that made both Constables look up.

'Come on,' Ginny said, breaking into a run, Neville hot on her heels. As they ran, Ginny risked a glance over her shoulder, seeing the Constables giving chase and she grinned.

 _Gotcha..._

####################

'That's the signal,' Hermione said. 'Come on...'

Quickly, she and Luna slipped out of their hiding place, heading towards the alley.

'Lumos,' Hermione said, pulling out her wand, the pale glow illuminating a few feet around them.

'Nothing,' Hermione said, as Luna illuminated her own wand, kneeling down.

'I wouldn't be so sure,' she said, pointing to patch of mud. 'Look at this...'

'A boot print,' Hermione said, kneeling down next to her. 'Luna...'

'Not just a boot print,' Luna said. 'An expensive, very well made boot print...'

'And...that means...?'

'I'm not sure. But, someone else was here apart from Harry and the dead man...'

'The killer...' Hermione muttered and Luna nodded.

'Come on,' Hermione said. 'Let's get out of here...'

Standing up, they extinguished their wands and disapparated with a crack...

####################

'I think we lost them,' Ginny panted as she and Neville ducked into an alley. 'You okay...?'

'Yeah,' Neville gasped, bending over with his hands on his knees. 'Yeah...I'll be alright...'

'Good,' Ginny said, clapping him on the shoulder. 'Come on. We should have given them enough time. Let's go...'

'Right,' Neville said, standing up and they disapparated.

####################

Ron and Harry appeared back in the hallway of the safehouse.

'Come on,' Ron said, pulling out the camera from inside his cloak. 'Let's have a look at these pictures...'

'Wait,' Harry said, holding out his hand. 'We're not alone...'

'What do you mean?' Ron asked as two figures emerged from the shadows with their wands drawn.

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

'Put it away, Potter,' a voice said as two figures stepped out of the shadows. One was a tall, dark-skinned man in dark blue and purple robes, while the other was a short woman with shocking pink hair.

'Kingsley?' Harry said, lowering his wand. 'Tonks?'

'Wotcher, Harry,' the pink-haired woman said and Kingsley frowned at her.

'What are you doing here?' Harry asked and Kingsley turned towards him.

'Dumbledore sent us to warn you. Minister Harris has assigned two Aurors to bring you in and they're both loyal to him. He believes that Harris can't be trusted...'

'Then why isn't Dumbledore doing something?' Ron demanded, hotly.

'He is,' Kingsley rumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

'Dumbledore can't openly oppose the Ministry,' Tonks said and Ron snorted.

'Harris is the key to what happened to you, Harry,' Kingsley said. 'It's him you need to investigate...'

He and Tonks disapparated as the door opened to admit Luna, Neville, Ginny and Hermione.

'Come on,' Harry said, grabbing the camera from Ron. 'Let's get these pictures developed. We need to talk...'

#################

'So, Dumbledore thinks that Minister Harris is involved in whatever happened to Harry?' Neville asked, after they were all seated back at the table.

'He is Minister for Law and Justice,' Hermione said. 'If anyone has the influence to frame Harry, it's him. Haven't you done that yet?' she demanded of Ron, who was tapping the miniature camera with his wand.

'Keep your shirt on,' he muttered. 'I've got it, I've got...there...'

He gave the camera a final tap and it started whirring and clicking, a ghostly image of the Auror reports appearing on the wall.

'Samuel Birkenshaw,' Harry read. 'Suspected ties to known smugglers, racketeers and the black market...'

'Does it say what killed him?' Ginny asked and Ron scowled.

'Hang on, alright. Jeez...' He said, flicking to the next page. 'Cause of death, a stunning spell fired at close range...'

'A stunning spell?' Harry asked.

'That's what I said, mate...'

'Yeah. Sorry. It's just, I remember hearing that somewhere recently...'

'Where?' Hermione asked.

'If I knew that,' Harry snapped and Hermione's eyes narrowed.

'Alright. You don't need to bite my head off...'

'Yeah. Come on, mate,' Ron added. 'You need to calm down...'

'That's easy for you to say. In case you've forgotten, I'm being accused of murder...'

'No-one's forgotten, Harry,' Ginny said, coolly. 'In case you've forgotten, we're trying to help you...'

'Yeah...you're right. I'm sorry. It's just...I know that I've heard something like this before...'

'Maybe you read it, somewhere,' Luna said and Harry sighed.

'Do you know how many reports I read every day. It's not like I saw it in the Daily Prophet or...'

'What is it, Harry?' Neville asked as his voice trailed off.

'I did read it in the Daily Prophet,' Harry said. 'There was a story about a man being found dead in Nocturn Alley. I...I think he was killed by a stunning spell...'

'If that's true,' Hermione said. 'Then, I know where we need to go...'

'Where?' Ron asked and Hermione grinned.

'The Daily Prophet office...'

#################

'Why would anyone come here?' Ron asked, as they stepped into the offices of the Daily Prophet, being greeted by rows of dusty shelves.

'They have back issues of every edition here,' Hermione whispered and Ron shrugged.

'Like I said, why would anyone want to come here...'

'What are we looking for?' Neville asked, quickly.

'We need back issues for this year. This way...'

Hermione lead them along the rows of shelves towards one that looked indistinguishable from the others.

'Here. This is it,' she said. Quickly, they took their seats at the table between the shelves as Harry removed his invisibility cloak. Hopefully, in the shadowy recesses of the shelves, he wouldn't be noticed.

'What now?' he asked as Hermione pulled six leather-bound volumes from the shelves and dumped them on the table.

'Now, we start reading...'

#################

'Got it,' Harry said, pushing the volume that he had been leafing through into the centre of the table as the others gathered round to read.

'At 01:45 on the morning of June 8th, the bodies of two wizards were discovered near Knockturn Alley. Both appeared to have been killed by a stunning spell from close range. The bodies have been identified as Andrew Winstone and Robert Lynard, both of whom have been under surveillance by the Auror Office. The deaths are being treated as suspicious and senior Auror Julian Harris is investigating...'

'Harris,' Neville said and Harry nodded.

'It can't be a coincidence that he was investigating,' he said, keeping his voice low. 'I'll bet Harris killed them...'

'But why would he investigate the case?' Luna asked and Harry shrugged.

'I don't know. Maybe he was ordered to. Either way, it gave him a perfect opportunity to cover his tracks...'

'That's all very well,' Hermione said,' but it's all circumstantial evidence. It doesn't prove that he killed them...'

'No,' Harry said. 'It doesn't. So, we need to make him confess...'

'How?' Ginny asked and Harry smiled, grimly.

'I've got a plan...'

#################

'Evening, Ron,' Jeremiah said, as he rose from his seat behind the desk. 'You still working?'

'Something like that,' Ron said. 'Anyway, I'm sorry about this...'

'Sorry about what...?'

'Stupefy!' Ron said, drawing his wand, the stunning spell knocking him back against the wall.

'Come on,' he said, pushing open the door to let the others in. 'We need to move...'

Quickly, they piled into the lift, just as two more Aurors stepped into the corridor.

'Potter!' One of them yelled, drawing his wand as Ginny snapped off a shot that made him dive for cover. With a grunt, Neville heaved the doors closed, punching the button for the Auror office. A few seconds later, the lift juddered to a halt and Neville opened the doors to reveal Minister Harris, flanked by half a dozen Aurors with their wands raised.

'Potter,' Harris said. 'Don't move...'

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


	4. Chapter 4

**All characters and concepts are the property of their respective creators. No copyright infringement is intended, or profit made, from this work of fiction.**

Harry and the others were escorted through the large wooden doors at wand point into a large domed chamber with tiers of seats running round the wall and a handful of witches and wizards in fine robes seated at the dias.

 _The Wizengamot..._

Minister Harris and the Aurors lined them up in front of the dias, placing their wands on the table behind them. Surreptitiously, Harry glanced at the others. Ron was glaring at Minister Harris, while Hermione was chewing her lip, nervously. Ginny was staring defiantly at the Aurors, while Neville stared down at his feet and Luna was looking around with her usual blissful curiousity.

'Minister Harris,' a stern faced witch with greying hair asked, rising from her seat in the middle of the dias . 'What is the meaning of this?'

'Forgive the intrusion, Madam Adjudicator ,' Harris said, striding past Harry to the centre of them room. 'My Aurors have apprehended the fugitive Potter and his accomplices' attempting to break into the Auror Office. As he is currently wanted for murder, I have brought him here for trial...'

'I didn't murder anyone,' Harry snarled and the grey-haired witch turned towards him.

'Restrain yourself, Mr Potter. My name is Madam Prendagast, High Adjudicator of the Wizengamot. I will come to you in a moment. Minister Harris,' she said, turning back to him. 'You know our laws. Unless the witness has an advocate to speak in his defence, we cannot convene a trial...'

'I'll speak in my own defence,' Harry said.

'Harry!' Hermione exclaimed, as Prendagast turned back towards him.

'That is your right, Mr Potter. If you are certain...'

'I am, Madam Adjudicator,' Harry said and Prendagast nodded.

'Very well. Minister Harris. Present your case...'

'Of course, Madam Adjudicator. Earlier this evening, Mr Potter was found next to the body of one Samuel Birkenshaw. When the Constabulary tried to question him, Mr Potter assaulted them and disapparated. The Constabularly later located him again, but he escaped with the aid of Auror Weasley. Now on the run, Potter later broke into the Auror Office and assaulted Charlesworth, who was on duty in the Atrium. It is clear that Potter's intention was to destroy the evidence pertaining to his guilt and avoid justice for his actions...'

'Thank you, Minister Harris,' Prendagast said, turning back to Harry.

'Mr Potter?'

'I didn't kill Samuel Birkenshaw,' Harry said. Minister Harris did...'

'That's preposterous. Madam Adjudicator, I object...'

'Mr Potter is within his rights to present his defence. Continue, Mr Potter...'

'Minister Harris killed Birkenshaw,' Harry repeated. 'And I can prove it. Aurors, even the Minister for Law Enforcement, needs to request authorisation from the Wizengamot before performing a memory charm. Has Minister Harris requested this in the last few days?'

'No...'

'In that case, the Minister should have no objection to the Wizengamot performing Priori Incantatum...'

'This is ridiculous,' Minister Harris said.

'If that is so, Minister, then you should have no objection. Your wand, please...'

Harris hesitated for a moment before taking out his wand. Time slowed as he aimed it at Harry. However, Harry had already thrown himself flat, the stunning spell blasting over his head. Scrambling forward, Harry grabbed his wand from the table and spun round in time to deflect another stunner.

'Expelliarmus!'

Harry's spell knocked his wand out of his hand, just as Prendagast came to her feet.

'Aurors,' she intoned. 'Place Minister Harris under arrest...'

The Aurors hesitated before drawing their own wands and advancing towards him, Prendagast turning towards Harry.

'Mr Potter, there will need to be an inquiry into this matter. However, for now, you are free to go...'

'Thank you, Madam Adjudicator...'

################

'Here we are,' Ginny said, as she returned to the table, carrying a tray of six butterbeers and plonking them down, dropping into her seat next to Hermione. They were sitting in the Three Broomsticks, which was a crowded as always.

'Cheers,' Ron said, grabbing one and taking a deep swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

'...don't mention it,' Ginny said, taking two more butterbeers and handing one to Hermione.

'What do you think'll happen...?' Neville asked and Harry shrugged.

'I don't know...'

'There'll have to be a full trial,' Hermione said. 'However, they'll probably prove Harry's innocence...'

'Thanks for the vote of confidence,' Harry said and Hermione's expression crumpled.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean...'

'It's alright, Hermione,' Harry said. 'I know what you meant...'

He hesitated, glancing around at the others, before continuing.

'...seriously, thank you. All of you...

'No worries, mate,' Ron said, clapping him on the shoulder. 'It's just another day at the office.

'Yeah, Harry said, with a grin.

 **Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews, comments or constructive criticisms are very welcome.**


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